Overdose kits credited with saving lives

NEW BEDFORD — Nearly two years ago, a 15-year-old girl overdosed on heroin in a city alley.

BRIAN BOYD

NEW BEDFORD — Nearly two years ago, a 15-year-old girl overdosed on heroin in a city alley.

With the teenager's life at risk, another heroin user administered an anti-overdose nasal spray that was being distributed by the state. The girl, who was later taken to a hospital for treatment, was the first person in New Bedford known to have been saved by the state's pilot program.

"She wouldn't have made it" without the medication, said Connie Rocha-Mimoso, HIV director at Seven Hills Behavioral Health, the designated provider for New Bedford.

The 15-year-old was one of 98 reported cases in the New Bedford area of an overdose being reversed by the nasal spray since the start of the program. There could be more situations where the drug stopped an overdose, but the people involved may not have told officials, Rocha-Mimoso said.

In two years, the pilot program is credited with reversing more than 500 overdoses statewide. It has enrolled more than 4,300 people to administer the nasal naloxone, which is also known as Narcan and reverses overdoses from opioids, including heroin, the state Department of Public Health reported last week.

Those recruited under the program include drug users and family and friends of users. The program teaches people how to use Narcan and about overdose prevention, according to the DPH.

The nasal spray blocks the opioids and restores normal breathing, which is restricted to the point of death during an opioid overdose. Other opioids are oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, codeine and methadone.

Emergency responders, such as paramedics and emergency room physicians, have been using naloxone since the 1970s to revive people who are suffering from an opioid overdose.

The woman who saved the teenage girl in New Bedford was recruited by Seven Hills, which provides outreach and education on substance abuse and other health issues. The agency identifies drug users through its outreach, as well as through referrals from social service agencies, churches, police and the court system, Rocha-Mimoso said.

Seven Hills has been distributing 15 to 25 overdose kits a month since the program began. The agency recruits people who use drugs, because they are more likely to find themselves with someone suffering an overdose. The service providers also recruit partners, friends and relatives of users. It trains the participants on how to use the spray and how to identify signs of an overdose.

One key lesson of the training is the need to call 911. Even after the drug is administered, the victims of overdoses should go to the hospital. They might have substances in their systems other than opioids, such as cocaine or alcohol, Rocha-Mimoso said.

"This has been a very successful program," she said.

Beyond training recruits on the use of the kits, the agency also is educating people about the services available to them and others for treatment of addictions and mental illness, as well as HIV prevention and other services.

The local service providers see the distribution of Narcan as part of a larger effort, which includes connecting people with addictions to much-needed treatment.

"It's an opportunity to save lives and to provide a path into treatment," said Jo-Anne Newton, assistant vice president at Seven Hills.